We’ve visited Singapore several times, and this time we have returned to mark the occasion of our 30th wedding anniversary.
Singapore is an impressive city of modernity and culture. A city where skyscrapers are surrounded by leafy green gardens, and diverse neighbourhoods ooze unique flavours. Its efficient public transport makes the city easy to navigate, and all this combined will ensure a fabulous stay. Just the way we like it!
As part of this trip, we have decided to further seek out its street art. Something which I very much LOVE doing. It’s a lively and visually delightful way to explore Singapore, where every turn can reveal a surprise. By the way, this isn’t my first Singapore Street Art story, in case you missed it click here to read my earlier Explore Singapore’s Vibrant Street Art story from our previous visit.
Singapore’s street art is a vibrant display of colours and stories. From the trendy Haji Lane and Kampong Glam, Singapore’s Muslim quarter, to the historic district of Tanjong Pagar, the city’s walls come alive. It’s a relaxed peaceful stroll through these street galleries, where every mural adds a little something to Singapore’s vibe. Each mural tells a unique story – all waiting for you to discover.
Here are a few of my favourite finds on this trip.
Artist: Shepard Fairy
Title: Mosaic of Peace and Harmony Location: 8 Craig Road, Tanjong Pagar
This mural was the highlight of our street art discovery. It represents a message from the artist of peace and harmony for the country.
The mural features a woman holding a flower. It also shows a dove with a flower blooming out of barbed wire, held in its beak.
“My logo is mixed with the flower and the triangle. These concepts of peace and harmony are very important to me. What I hope to achieve with this image is for someone to look at it and say, I like the way this looks. What is it trying to say?” – Shepard
An interesting observation in painting street art in Singapore for me was this from Shepard:
“Singapore only carries limited colors of water-based spray paint, which I applaud from an environmental standpoint, but it presents serious problems when working in 90% humidity conditions with unexpected bursts of rain!”
Artist: Sam Lo
Title: A Diptych: A Tale of Two Worlds Location: 40 Amber Road, Katong
Businessman’s Lovebird and Fisherman’s Lovebird
Here is a diptych featuring two murals on the walls of the Coliwoo Amber Hotel. It tells a story of lost love between two lovebirds. One lovebird belonged to the businessmen, and the other to the fishermen. These two are generally seen together, but due to modernisation, they are now separated at opposing ends of the building.
The story is that these murals were inspired by the history of the Kampong Amber where they are located. Previously, Chinese businesspeople and Malay fishermen lived together in coastal bungalows and wooden thatched cottages. They had formed a close-knit community. But, as modernisation took hold, the community was divided, and more roads were built between the people and the sea.
Artist: Sam Lo
Title: Longing Location: 28 Aliwal Street
This is another piece by Sam Lo – an intensity of colours and a gorgeous image of unique ‘lovebirds’. It is a very meaningful painting for Sam, completed for Pride Month 2023 in Singapore.
This year’s Pride mural hits real close to home. Reflecting on my own marriage with @racybones, I painted us as a pair of lovebirds huddling as arrows hit us. Each arrow is tied to a red rope adorned with medallions representing the different hurdles we go through as a queer couple in Singapore.
But what we do have is each other, and we will protect our own.” – Sam
Artist: ANTZ (Anthony Chong)
Title: The Leap Forward Location: 23 Bali Lane, Kampong Bugis
This is simply one small mural on a large metal canvas that spans 131 metres down Bali Lane and 107 metres down Ophir Road. The five-metre-high ‘Hall of Fame’ wall has become one of Singapore’s most well-known street art experiences. The massive wall, which was built as a noise barrier for ongoing construction work, has become a popular spot for muralists in Singapore.
ANTZ has a unique take on traditional Chinese identity and culture which he puts into vibrant, colourful artwork. Here, the fish, the traditional symbol of abundance, takes to the skies.
“Art and technology blend in this fantastical realm, where soaring goldfish captivates and brings good fortune.” – ANTZ
Artist: Tobyato
Title: Ikan Todak Location: 38 Tg Pagar Road
The Malay title, Ikan Todak, means ‘swordfish’.
This modern mural pays reference to a Singapore Malay legend about a battle between local villagers headed by a brave young boy named Hang Nadim and the swordfish.
It imagines the conflict between man, swordfish, and banana stems on the coast of Tanjong Pagar. Hang Nadim used banana tree stems to repel the charging swordfish and defend the villagers.
Two swordfish swimming in a pool of abstract waves are shown on the building wall. One of them has its nose punctured through a banana stem, a clear allusion to the way the villagers repelled the swordfish’s attack.
Artist: Chris Chai
Title: Untitled Location: 60 Kandahar Street
Chris has created a black and white mural with geometric shapes and patterns that continuously repeat. He draws his inspiration from the complex visual structures that surround us, like architecture.
This mural includes Islamic-inspired patterns that represent the area’s significance to the Muslim community, both past and present. It combines traditional patterns with an artistic interpretation of Islamic art.
Artist: Yip Yew Chong
Title: Untitled Location: 58 Arab Street (Rear Laneway)
The cat with a lot of attitude and ‘killer eyes’.
Yip Yew is known for his nostalgic street murals depicting Singapore’s culture, both old and new.
The homes here were occupied by wicker and rattan basket shops for a very long time. Just before the Covid-19 outbreak, they were completely closed.
Yip Yew was commissioned to recreate the theme of the basket stores to commemorate this iconic sight. He produced a fanciful mural – realistic yet exaggerated – with the baskets, the cats and the fish.
Yip Yew’s street murals may be found all around the Kampong Glam neighbourhood.
Artist: Boon Baked
Title: Untitled Location: 241 Joo Chiat Road
What a splash of vivid colour! The phoenix soars among blooming flowers. Bold colours sway in the sky telling a story of beauty and renewal.
The Phoenix (mythology) – an imaginary bird that set fire to itself every 500 years and was born again, rising from its ashes.
The Phoenix in this painting pays respect to its namesake, which is used as a decorative motif on porcelain by Peranakans (Singaporeans of mixed Chinese and Malay/Indonesian ancestry). It symbolises the continuation of life in the wake of change caused by the Covid-19 pandemic – a rebirth if you will.
Artist: Joshua Yang
Title: Untitled Location: 241 Joo Chiat Road
In a quiet alley, an old building’s white-washed wall unveils a striking black portrait of a dog. Almost charcoal-like, the simple image with perked-up ears projects innocence, drawing you in.
Against the weathered backdrop, it invites passersby to share a moment with this beautiful dog.
There is also a faded quotation at the base of the mural:
“If your dog is fat, you are not getting enough exercise.”
“The interplay of image and text also echoes the site specificity of the mural, reinforcing the need for a healthy lifestyle amidst all the good food one finds in the Joo Chiat area.” – Art Walk Fest Singapore
That’s my take on it anyway. This mural is part of the Apocalyptic Murals project by Joshua Yang. Something which I did not quite grasp, and I am also making an assumption that Joshua actually painted this mural.
We had a great time exploring these street murals throughout Singapore’s various neighbourhoods, from the colourful Little India to the cultural and lively Katong-Joo Chiat Road. We saw art that made us smile and think, not to mention the amazing food and drink stops we enjoyed along the way.
Hopefully you enjoyed our little adventure and we plan to bring you more of Singapore’s street art in the future. In the meantime, if this story left you wanting more, click here to see all our street art stories.
Also, you can read our other stories on Singapore by clicking here. Ahhhh Singapore!